Frittelle di riso – rice fritters

The Sicilian pastry tradition was influenced by the Swiss pastry chefs that arrived on the island in the eighteenth century. However, most of the desserts were born in the Sicilian monasteries and developed by the nuns

The Italian name of these fritters is, 'crespelle di riso alla benedettina', because they were prepared in the Benedictine Monastery of Catania, a jewel from the late Baroque period and traditionally eaten on Saint Joseph's Day. Nowadays, these fritters are eaten throughout the winter period and even for Christmas day.

The original recipe is without yeast, but this is my mother's recipe and a little bit faster. It's not easy to ask my mother for a recipe! She writes nothing down and when I try to get more details, she typically gives me answers such as 'the rice needs as much flour as needed' or 'the dough must be creamy, but not too much'. But believe me, this is the tested recipe and it works.